Trussed brake beam



1 A. c.. MATHER TRUSSED BRAKE BEAN Filed Sept. 19. 1923 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALONZO C. MATI-IER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRUSSED BRAKE BEAM.

Application filed September 19, 1923. Serial No. 663,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNZo U. MATHER, a citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trussed Brake Beam, of which the following; is a specification.

My invention relates to brake beams commonly used on railroad cars and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a pivoted brace under the truss so the beam can be adjusted to be used at either end of the car; second, to mount the brace under the truss on screw threads so the same can be adjusted to a tight position after the beam is attached to the car; third, to afford a construction which is easily repaired; fourth, to make a strong, durable and simple construction, and other features to become apparentfrom the description to follow.

In the construction of railroad car brake beams it is desirable to make the same universally adaptable to either end of the car; to be able to take up the slack which necessarily is caused from wear; and to make the construction so that it can be easily repaired, all these desirable features are obtained by the use of my invention which consists of mounting the brace between the truss and the beam, on a screw threaded portion and riveting; the ends of the truss to the beam near the brake shoes.

To describe my invention so that others versed in the art to which it appertains, can make and use the same, I have illustrated it on the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which Figure 1, is a plan view of a brake beam made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, is a similar View of the same showing it adjusted to be applied to the opposite end of the car, and Fig. 3, is a central longitudinal sectional view through the center of the brace.

Qimilar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The channel beam carries the brake shoe supports 5 at either end as usual, the truss 6 is riveted at the ends to the beam 4 as indicated at 7. The brace S spans the space between the truss and thebeam in the center as usual and is provided with a slot 9 and a transverse bolt 10 on which the brake lever 1.1 is pivoted in the usual manner. In case the truss 6 becomes broken, the rivet-s 7 are removedand a new truss secured in place. After a brake beam has been in use a considerabletime the constant pounding and rattling causes the brace to become loose-between the truss and the beam, and to enable to take up this slack or looseness I provide a threaded hole in each end of the brace S whichfits the threaded studs 12 and 13 rigidly secured to the beam 4; and the truss 6 respectively. thread and the stud 13 carries a left hand thread so that turning the brace 8 in one direction will tend to press outward on the beam and truss and thereby tighten the brace in position.

t will be noted that in Fig. 1, the position of the brake lever 11 is such that it is applicable to one end of a car while in Fig. 2, the position of the brake lever 11 is su' h that it is applicable to the opposite end of the car. The construction above described enables the placing of the brake lever 11 in either of the two positions, thus making the one construction of trussed brake beam adaptable to either end of a car.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A trussed brake beam comprising a compression member having brake shoes secured to its ends, a tension member connected at its ends to the compression member adjacent the brake shoes, a strut between said compression and tension members, said strut comprising; three members, one section coniected rigidly to the compression member at its center and having a screw-threaded lug.

a duplicate section connected rigidly to the tension member at its center having a screw threaded lugand a third or intermediate section having screw-threaded ends to receivesaid lugs.

2, A trussed brake beam comprising a compression member having brake shoes sccured to its ends. a tension member rigidly secured at its ends to the compression member adjacent the brake shoes, right and left hand screw-threaded lugs rip'idly se ured in the center portion of the compression menu her and tension member, an intermediate strut section provided with screw-threaded ends to receive said lugs and said compression member comprising a channel bar and said tension member COIIlDflSlllg'l a flat bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this spe ification this 7th day of September, 1923, at Chicago, Illinois.

- ALONZO C. MATHER.

The stud 12 carries a ri 'ht hand 

